105-year-old astronomy enthusiast receives historic black hole image

Violet Sykes (middle) received a photo of a black hole from Avery Broderick (right) in Waterloo, Ont. on April 30, 2026. (Dave Pettitt/CTV News)

A 105-year-old woman in Waterloo, Ont. got an out-of-this-world birthday surprise.

Violet Sykes received a special gift from the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Waterloo: an autographed photo of the black hole found in the centre of the Milky Way.

Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) was first photographed in May 2022, and the first polarized image was released in 2024 thanks to the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, an international team of astrophysicists that includes Avery Broderick, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo.

He signed and gifted the photo to Sykes on Thursday.

“When I encounter somebody who has maintained their capacity to wonder, that’s amazing,” he said. “I’m really happy just to be part of her birthday celebration.”

She received her gift in front of a large crowd at the Luther Village on Park retirement community.

“I was quite surprised. It was a lot bigger than I was expecting,” she said.

Sykes said she has always been fascinated by outer space.

“I think the first time my father introduced my brother and I to the stars and explained the Milk Way and North Star,” she recalled.

She said her secret to living a long life is to be filled with curiosity and wonder and to never stop learning.